Page 108 of Forced Vows

"Your mother is a good woman. Seeing her makes me miss my own Sophia, God rest her soul." He sighs. "Tell her to come for lunch on Saturday. Father John will join us."

The cardinal began as a priest in Don Caruso's family's church and is the only one to hear the godfather's confession for over fifty years.

"I'll tell her."

The godfather taps twice downward with his forefinger. His men lower their guns.

Henry slams his own gun against his thigh. "What the fu—"

"Silence," Don Caruso cuts him off, his tone sharp but his voice does not carry.

He has always been known as the don with a soft voice and ruthless nature, but this is different. His voice is almost weak.

Salvatore returns, his eyes reflecting satisfaction. The call went well then.

"You finished talking to your girlfriend?" I ask.

What else is he going to call a woman he kidnapped and has trapped in his apartment?

The godfather leans heavily on his cane but gives my cousin a harsh glare. "Maybe you want to explain to me how this is not an act of war on behalf of your don?"

Here we go.

The political jockeying I hate. And Sev knows it. I swear he sent me, instead of coming himself, because I ate the leftover cannoli from dinner last night.

Henry gloats like the man who knocked his opponent's knight from the chessboard but doesn't realize it's opened him up to lose his king.

Giamope.

How is this fool going to run the Lucchese Family? He can't even see two steps ahead.

Salvatore gives a brief rundown of what happened this morning. In our fucking territory.

"A cocktail waitress who shakes her ass for tips and doesn't even make your club extra money is hardly one of your own," the godfather dismisses.

Well, fuck.

Salvatore is attached to that cocktail waitress. To the point of taking her phone call in the middle of this pissing contest. I watch my cousin's hand twitch but he doesn't go for his gun.

I should be glad of my cousin's restraint. But maiming a few arrogant Lucchese soldiers stupid enough to draw on us would be fun.

However, killing our godfather's would start a war for sure.

"Amuni is one of our legit businesses," Salvatore grits out.

"Which makes this puttana even less one of your own," Henry sneers.

The man just can't help being a giamope.

My cousin takes a step toward the other capo. "Call my girlfriend a whore again and I will end you."

Henry can't meet Salvatore's eyes.

Codardo. And a spineless one.

"It is true then? The woman is your girlfriend." Don Caruso measures Salvatore with his gaze. "I had heard that is what you told the hospital, but I dismissed it as provocative gossip."

No surprise our godfather knows what's happening in the other boroughs. His intelligence network is legendary, but it's based on aging informants.

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